White River Wildlife Area was established in 1953. Located along the east slope of the Cascade Mountains in the north central part of Oregon, the wildlife area encompasses 29,480 acres. An additional 1,280 acres of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is managed by the ODFW bringing the total acres managed by the department to 30,760. The primary purpose of White River Wildlife Area is to provide winter range habitat for black-tailed deer and Rocky Mountain elk and to minimize big game damage to adjacent private agricultural lands.

Best time to visit: Year-round. July and October - November for viewing turkeys. December - February for viewing deer and elk.

What to see and do

A mix of fir, pine and oak forests offer diverse habitats for a variety of wildlife. Wild turkey populations are the highest in northern Oregon. Silver gray squirrels are abundant. Spring and summer are the best times to see Lewis woodpeckers. This is a popular hunting area during the fall, and feeding stations provide good deer and elk viewing during winter.

Nearby: White River Falls State Park is a popular picnicking, hiking and fishing retreat for visitors to the Deschutes River corridor.

Do you have a question or comment for ODFW? Contact ODFW's Public Service Representative at: odfw.info@state.or.us
Do you want to enter your opinion about a specific issue into the public record? Contact: odfw.comments@state.or.us